IRVINE, Calif. – The fifth-seeded University of Hawai'i women's tennis team knocked off fourth-seeded UC Davis in the quarterfinal round of the Big West Tournament with a 4-1 victory Thursday at the Irvine Great Park.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (7-7) move on to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive tournament where they will face top-seeded UC Santa Barbara Friday at 9:00 a.m. PT for the right to play in the championship match. UH has appeared in the title match every year since 2016.
 
UC Davis (8-8) pulled out the doubles point and an early 1-0 lead in the dual with a tiebreak win at Court #2 as Shirley Hall and Michelle Zell outlasted UH's Nikola Dolakova and Satsuki Takamura 7-6 (5). The teams has split the two earlier doubles contests – the Aggies winning at Court #1 as Sara Tsukamoto and Lauren Ko took down UH's Petra Melounova and Bojana Markovic. The Rainbow Wahine evened the score as Alexis Merrill and Lea Romain defeated Kristina Evloeva and Yana Gurevich, 6-3 on the No. 3 court.
 
In singles play, Hawai'i got off to a quick start as Markovic barely broke a sweat with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Zell at No. 4. Moments later, Takamura put UH ahead with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hall on Court #3. Romain needed a second set tiebreaker to win her match over Olive Maunupau, 6-2, 7-6 (4) while Dolakova clinched the dual with an identical 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Gurevich at No. 2.
 
Hawai'i and UCSB met once during the season with the Gauchos winning 5-2 in Honolulu in a match in which three of UH's four seniors did not play due to injury.
 
Big West Tournament Quarterfinals
Hawai'i 4, UC Davis 1
April 29, 2021
Irvine, Calif. (Irvine Great Park)

Doubles
1. Sara Tsukamoto/Lauren Ko (UCD) def. Petra Melounova/Bojana Markovic (UH) 6-2
2. Shirley Hall/Michelle Zell (UCD) def. Nikola Dolakova/Satsuki Takamura (UH) 7-6 (5)
3. Alexis Merrill/Lea Romain (UH) def. Kristina Evloeva/Yana Gurevich (UCD) 6-4
Order of finish: (1, 3, 2*)

Singles
1. Petra Melounova (UH) vs. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD), 3-6, 6-4, 5-4 Unfinished
2. Nikola Dolakova (UH) def. Yana Gurevich (UCD) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
3. Satsuki Takamura (UH) def. Shirley Hall (UCD) 6-4, 6-3
4. Bojana Markovic (UH) def. Michelle Zell (UCD) 6-0, 6-1
5. Lea Romain (UH) def. Olive Maunupau (UCD) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
6. Alexis Merrill (UH) vs. Kristina Evloeva (UCD), 4-6, 4-5 Unfinished
Order of finish: (4, 3, 5, 2*)